In a recent article, Computer World’s Nicholas Evans explored how an established Internet of Things ecosystem (wearables) provides us with key lessons learned that can (and should) be applied to future innovations.

So what can we learn?

Pay attention to form factor, battery life, durability, and standards to ensure your best of breed ecosystem meets your technical requirements. Security and privacy are vital considerations as well the minute any of your devices or sensors connect online. In addition, pilots and proof of concepts are equally important to arrive at the optimum solution.

Think about where you wish to play in the Internet of Things ecosystem. i.e. If you want to get close to customers and increase your traction with your audience, it’s important to play a part in the display or analysis of the customer’s personal data cloud (or your partners’ data clouds) and be the application “arms-dealer” to help them interpret and apply their data to meet their personal needs and interests.

In all comes down to the user experience. Presenting the information to the end user in a real-time, highly personalized, highly customizable, even predictive manner, really seals the deal in terms of the newly digitized process. It’s this digital customer experience value proposition that fuels the entire ecosystem. So whether, you’re a device manufacturer, a data provider, an analytics provider, a platform provider, or some other form of player in the ecosystem, the digital user experience will be vital to growth, differentiation, solution longevity, and overall customer satisfaction.